Machine for the manufacture of cigarettes provided with an inside strip which can be lighted by rubbing



y 1957 F. DE CAPlTANl 2,799,320 7 MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTES PROVIDED WITH AN INSIDE STRIP waxca CAN BE LIGHTED BY RUBBING Filed April 12, 1954 2 Shee ts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR FRANCESCO DE CAPITA m July 16, 1957 F. DE CAPITANI .v 2,799,

MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGARETTES PROVIDED WITH AN INSIDE STRIP WHICH CAN BE LIGHTED BY RUBBING 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April l2, 1954 3/0/ IN VEN TOR B5RANCESCO DE CAP/TAN! 22M United States atent MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CIGA- RETTES PROVIDED WITH AN INSIDE STRIP WHICH CAN BE LIGHTED BY RUBBING Francesco De Capitani, Milan, Italy Application April 12, 1954, Serial No. 422,593 Claims priority, application Italy April 15, 1953 3 Claims. (Cl. 154-36) This invention relates to cigarettes provided on one of their ends with an inside strip that can be lighted by rubbing. Such a lighting strip is made-up by a strip of positively combustible material (match) showing a section coated with a compound that can be lighted by rubbing (rubbing section) and is applied on the inside of a cigarette paper tube, with the lighting compound directed toward the paper, and accessible from the outside through a slot cut on same paper tube. The main object of the invention is a special machine by which an easy and quick series manufacture of the above specified cigarettes is allowed.

The machine according to the invention is characterized mainly by the combination of the hereinafter described devices, connected one another and synchronically operated: (a) A rotary slotting device, of the incandescence or other suitable type, designed to cut conveniently spaced slots on the cigarette paper strip. (b) A rotary cutter by which lighting strips of suitable length are cut out from a corresponding continuous strip. (c) A rotary vacuum conveyor by which the cut strips are taken and led to a glue smearer (usually of the roller type) and then applied onto thepoints of the cigarette paper strip, where previously cut slots are provided.

A device for printing the cigarette trademark on paper strip could preferably form a part of the above equipment. Such a printing device can be fitted before, or after the slotting device, and must be synchronized therewith, preferably in such a manner that the slot already cut, or to be cut on the paper strip, be conveniently spaced from said trademark.

The aforedescribed equipment for pro-processing cigarette paper strips is on its turn combined with a conventional cigarette making machine of any suitable type by which, as well known in the art, the paper strip is wound around the tobacco roll in such a manner that the lighting strips be on the inner side, whereupon the cigarettes are cut-off in such a manner that each of them be provided with lighting strip on one end.

The above and further features of the invention will appear from a consideration of the following description of a preferred embodiment form thereof, taken with the accompanying drawings, being same description and drawings given only as a not restrictive example. In

same drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view of a partly unwound cigarette provided with an inside lighting strip, and that can be manufactured by means of the machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the equipment for the preprocessing of paper strip.

Fig. 3 is a partly sectional detail of the corresponding rotary slotting device.

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of the vacuum conveyor for the lighting strips.

Fig. 5 shows the slotted cigarette paper strip, as it comes out of the slotting device.

Fig. 6 shows the continuous strip, wherefrom the single lighting strips are cut-off.

Fig. 7 is a view of the slotted cigarette paper strip, after the lighting strips have been glued thereto.

Fig. 8 shows a length of continuous cigarette tube, as it comes out of winding device, before the single cigarettes are cut-off.

The cigarette to be manufactured with the machine according to the invention is of the kind as shown on Fig. 1, and is provided on one of their ends with an inside strip 101 that can be lighted by rubbing. Such a lighting strip 101 is made-up by a section of an activated combustible material (the mate usually a paper strip processed with a suitable, oxygen developing compound, as potassium chlorate or the like) showing on one face a coating 3 of a compound that can be lighted by rubbing (rubbing section), and that might be similar, f. i., to that of safety match tips. Said lighting strip 101 is applied to inner side of cigarette paper strip 4 with the rubbing compound 3 directed toward same paper strip. Said rubbing compound is accessible from the outside through a slot 104 cut on the paper strip.

The manufacture of the aforementioned cigarette kind by means of the machine according to the invention, is started from the conventional continuous strip 4 of cigarette paper, as well as from a continuous lighting strip 1 (see Fig. 6), made-up by the match 2, and provided with a preferably continuous rubbing section 3, longitudinally applied along the middleline of strip 1.

In the machine according to the invention (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4) the cigarette paper strip 4, unwound from a roll, is fed first of all to a pull roller 5, getting at the same time printed with the trademark by means of any suitable printing device 6, not described as it is well known in the art (see Fig. 2). Then the strip 4 is passed through a slotting device 7 (see Figs. 2 and 3) that in the example as shown consists in a rotary punch 8, which cooperates with a die, shaped as a loose fitted roller 9, thereby cutting suitably spaced slots 104 on paper strip 4. The slot spacing corresponds, in the example as described, to the length of two cigarettes. The die 9 swings around the fulcrum 109 together with the return spring 21 and adjustable stop 12.

An adjusting device 10 of any suitable type, and that might consist f. i. of a pair of rollers, eccentrically fitted on an angularly adjustable disk to adjust the position of trademarks in respect of slots 104, is fitted in the space between the printing device 6 and the slotting device 7.

The lighting strip 1, unwound from a roll (not shown) is fed by a pull roller 13 and through a straight guide 14 to a rotary cutter 15, by which transverse sections corresponding to lighting strips 101 are cut off therefrom.

A vacuum conveyor 16, fitted at the level of and preferably below said rotary cutter 15, consists of a set of revolving tubular arms 116, all connected to a central vacuum chamber 22, that on its turn is connected to a suction fan through the hollow shaft 17. The outside open ends of said tubular arms are caused to travel in sequence near the cutting line of cutter 15, thus picking up the cut lighting strips and leading them to a glue distributing roller 18 that is continuously supplied with glue by a further roller 19, plunging in a glue reservoir 20. Finally, the lighting strips are brought by the aforesaid arms 116 close to a roller 21, fitted on spring supports, and whereon the slotted cigarette strip 4 is caused to travel. Upon reaching said position, the communication between the arm 116 and the vacuum chamber 22 is cut off by a fixed inside sector 23. The revolving motion of conveyor 16 is synchronized with the action of rotary cutter 15 in such a manner that the lighting strips 101, as they are cut off from the continuous strip 1, are picked up With their rubbing faces 3 directed to the outside, then led to gluing roller 18, and finally applied onto the cigarette paper strip 4 in correspondence of the roller 21, where the suction is intermittently discontinued. A cigarette paper hand adjusting device 110, like device is fitted in the space between the die roll 21 and the slotting device 7, and allows the band 4 to be adjusted in such a manner that the lighting strips 101 are applied with the rubbing section 3 directed toward same paper strip, and exactly corresponding with the slots 104, as shown on Fig. 7.

The cigarette paper strip 4, pre-processed in the aforedescribed manner, is then passed through a pair of spring supported pressure .rollers 24, by which the adhesion of strips 101 is improved, whereupon said cigarette paper strip 4- is fed to a conventional cigarette making machine, of any kind, not shown as the design and operation thereof are already well known in the art.

However, it must be pointed out that in the cigarette making machine, the cigarette paper strip 4 is wound around the tobacco roller in such a manner that the lighting strip, with which it has been provided, he in the inside (see Figs. 1 and 8) while the cigarettes are cut ofi from the continuous tube along the lines 25 (see Fig. 8), i .e. on one diameter of slots 104, as well as midway between two adjacent slots.

In such a manner, both the lighting strips 101 and their rubbing sections 3 are divided in two halves, with each half arranged on one of the ends of finished cigarettes, as shown in the Fig. 1.

Obviously, a lot of construction changes might be made to aforedescribed embodiment form, as aforedescribed, particularly what refers to slotting device, which could be of the incandescence type, whereby the slots are then obtained by burning out the paper strip 4. Moreover, different construction designs might be used for the rotary cutter 15, the vacuum conveyor 16 and the paper strip adjusting devices 10, 110, fitted therebetween.

It will be appreciated that the cigarette paper strip pre-processing equipment according to the invention could be combined with any type of conventional cigarette making machine, and could also be built-in therewith in such a manner as to be put out of operation at will, in order that also the manufacture of cigarettes without lighting strip is allowed. Finally, the equipment according to the invention could be provided with any suitable adjusting means allowing it to be utilized even with manufacture processes and lighting strips differ from those aforedescribed, as f. i. lighting strips provided with discontinuous rubbing sections, of the match-tip kind or the like, or with manufacture processes by which the lighting strips are suitably spaced on paper strip at a distance which corresponds to the length of a single cigarette, and are left sound while the cigarettes are being cut off.

Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and recited, as modifications and changes may be made therein as fall within the true spirit and scope of the claims hereunto.

What I claim is:

1. A device for use with a conventional cigarette manufacturing machine for making cigarettes having a lighting member ignitable by rubbing on a striking surface, the lighting member being in the form of a small strip arranged within one end of the wrapping paper surrounding the tobacco roll of the cigarette, the device comprising in combination rotary means for forming spaced holes on a strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a rotary cutter for cutting short lengths from a strip of igniter material having a rib of rubbing material on one side thereof, rotary conveying means having a hollow central chamber with suction means therein and radially extending hollow arms for conveying said short lengths from said rotary cutting means to said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a stationary cut-off member positioned in said chamber for shutting said hollow arms 011 from said chamber when the arms rotate past said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a gluing roller cooperable with said rotary conveying means for applying glue to the side of said lengths having the rib of rubbing material thereon, a spring loaded roller for pressing said lengths onto said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, and means for conducting said strip of cigarette wrapping paper successively past said means for forming spaced holes, said rotary conveyor means and said spring loaded roller, said means for forming the spaced holes, said rotary cutting means and said rotary conveying means being connected for operation in timed relationship, whereby said strip of cigarette wrapping paper has spaced holes cut therein, has a length of igniter material glued thereto with the rib of rubbing material against said strip of cigarette wrapping paper over said holes, and has said lengths pressed against said strip of cigarette wrapping paper.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said spaced hole forming means comprise a rotary punch and a die in the form of a roller.

3. A device for use with a conventional cigarette manufacturing machine for making cigarettes having a lighting member ignitible by rubbing on a striking surface. the lighting member being in the form of a small strip arranged within one end of the wrapping paper surrounding the tobacco roll of the cigarette, the device comprising in combination rotary means for forming spaced holes on a strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a rotary cutter for cutting short lengths from a strip of igniter material having a rib of rubbing material on one side thereof, rotary conveying means having a hollow central chamber with suction means therein and radially extending hollow arms for conveying said short lengths from said rotary cutting means to said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a stationary cut-off member positioned in said chamber for shutting said hollow arms off from said chamber when the arms rotate past said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a gluing roller cooperable with said rotary conveying means for applying glue to the side of said lengths having the rib of rubbing material thereon, a spring loaded roller for pressing said lengths onto said strip of cigarette wrapping paper, a second roller provided on the opposite side of the strip of cigarette wrapping paper and against which said spring loaded roller presses said strip and means for conducting said strip of cigarette wrapping paper successively past said means for forming spaced holes, said rotary conveyor means and said spring loaded roller, said means for forming the spaced holes, said rotary cutting means and said rotary conveying means being connected for operation in timed relationship, whereby said strip of cigarette wrapping paper has spaced holes cut therein, has a length of igniter material glued thereto with the rib of rubbing material against said strip of cigarette wrapping paper over said holes, and has said lengths pressed against said strip of cigarette wrapping paper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATEiITS 1,393,526 Grupe Oct. 11, 1921 1,723,068 Parsons "a- Aug. 6, 1929 1,757,380 Molins May 6, 1930 1,822,376 Schmitt Sept. 8, 1931 1,942,899 Parsons Jan. 9, 1934 2,167,119 Leary July 25, 1939 2,208,504 Arelt July 16, 1940 2,371,287 Feldman Mar. 13, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 473,967 Great Britain Oct. 21, 1937 697,648 Great Britain Sept. 30, 1953 202,337 Germany Oct. 2, 1908 442,848 Italy Dec. 2 1948 

